Who is Christo Lamprecht? Meet the South African amateur leading The Open at Royal Liverpool | Golf News

Amateur Christo Lamprecht fired a powerful five-under 66 at Royal Liverpool to seize the early lead in The 151st Open; South African’s begin is the second-lowest opening spherical by an amateur in Open historical past; watch all through the week dwell on Sky Sports

Christo Lamprecht upstaged the world’s finest as he produced an excellent show to develop into the shock early chief of The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool.

The South African, who certified for the closing males’s main of the yr by profitable the Amateur Championship final month, combined seven birdies with two bogeys to submit a five-under 66 and set the clubhouse goal at Hoylake.

Lamprecht performs college golf in the USA for Georgia Tech and is third in the world amateur golf rankings, with the 6ft 8ins rising star – who can even be eligible to play in The Masters subsequent April – not shocked by making a robust begin to his main profession.

Lamprecht is considered one of six amateurs in the area at Royal Liverpool

“In my own head, no, it’s not,” Lamprecht stated after his opening spherical. “I think I’m very hard on myself and I think I earned my spot to be here. I think the way I played today I earned to be on the top of the leaderboard, as of now.

“It’s not a cocky factor to say. I simply personally assume I imagine in myself, and I suppose stepping on to the first tee field if you happen to’re an expert or a competitor, you need to be believing that you need to be the finest standing there.

“Yeah, I’m very proud of it. I’m a little bit surprised, obviously, naturally, but also I played good golf today.”

How Lamprecht set the shock tempo

Playing alongside compatriot Louis Oosthuizen and Dutchman Joost Luiten, Lamprecht holed from 20 ft to avoid wasting par at the first earlier than draining a 25-footer at the third after taking free reduction from close to the grandstand following his tee shot.

Lamprecht almost discovered the par-four fourth inexperienced off the tee and used his size off the tee to make the most of the par-five fifth, two-putting from 50 ft for birdie. He then fired his tee shot in shut at the par-three subsequent to choose up one other shot.

The 22-year-old began his again 9 with a birdie and responded to lacking an eight-footer to avoid wasting par at the eleventh by chipping in from the fairway at the 14th, with one other birdie at the par-five subsequent briefly transferring him three forward.

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Lamprecht chipped in on the 14th gap for a powerful birdie throughout his opening spherical at The Open

Lamprecht did not stand up and down from the again of the sixteenth inexperienced, dropping him again to 4 underneath, with the amateur coming shut with a long-range birdie effort at the seventeenth earlier than signing off his spherical by selecting up a shot at the par-five final.

“I’d probably say the first tee shot was the only bit of nerves I had all day,” Lamprecht added. “I just walked off the first tee box after hitting my snap-hook drive, and my caddie just told me ‘listen, you’re playing The Open as an amateur; no need to stress’. We kind of had fun from there.

Lamprecht acknowledges the crowd after signing off with a birdie at the 18th

“It [leading] is fairly surreal. It’s good to see a whole lot of work behind the scenes repay. It’s one thing I have never dreamt of but, however it’s fairly cool.”

The fast start is the second-lowest opening round by an amateur in the history of The Open, one shot higher than Tom Lewis managed on the opening day in 2011, while the score is four strokes better than any amateur has ever managed during the first round of an Open at Royal Liverpool.

Lamprecht received praise from Bryson DeChambeau for his ball speed during a practice round ahead of the tournament, plus described playing partner Oosthuizen as a “ginormous mentor” in his early career, while he is refusing to get carried away about joining the professional ranks.

Lamprecht set the clubhouse goal on the opening day of The 151st Open

“I actually do not assume something [will change], to be trustworthy,” Lamprecht insisted. “At the begin of my faculty profession I made a promise to our head coach I used to be going to remain 4 years and I feel you are solely as priceless as your phrase. I’m positively planning on staying in faculty for the subsequent yr and planning on turning professional after that.”

Jordan hails ‘dream day’ after solid start

Royal Liverpool member Matthew Jordan enjoyed the day of his life after being given the honour of hitting the opening tee shot in Hoylake.

Jordan got the contest under way with the 6.35am tee time on Thursday morning, with huge crowds following him throughout the morning as he carded four birdies and two bogeys in a two-under 69.

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Royal Liverpool member Matthew Jordan describes the unforgettable moment he got the 151st Open Championship under way

“Amazing – I’m operating out of phrases to explain it,” Jordan said. “It was loopy, psychological, loud, the whole lot that I may have wished for. I’m definitely attempting to consider a greater expertise than that, and I do not assume I can.

“Obviously with the occasion and everything going on to start with, I’m really happy to certainly break 70. I think that’s one thing, if you do that, you certainly can’t be displeased.”

Watch The 151st Open all through the week completely dwell on Sky Sports. Live protection of the second spherical begins on Thursday from 6.30am on Sky Sports Golf.